Her name is on the incorporation papers for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad front organisations WISE (World Islamic Studies Enterprise). Instead of jail she is being feted at a farewell party at the jihad mosque which her husband helped found. Her other two aspiring jihadist children were studying at prestigious American universities where they received financial and moral support from the American Muslim and the leftist community. Son Abdullah was an aide to Congressman Bonior and daughter Laila (who is living in NewYork City after graduated at Columbia school of journalist)was a journalistic intern at US News and World Report. When she studied at Georgetown University fundraisers had been held for her terrorist father. [Laila Al Arian had been head of the Muslim Student Association at the Univerisity of South Florida where her father taught while coordinating terror attacks and fundraising for Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Three Georgetown University student groups — Muslim Students Association, the Young Arab Leadership Alliance and Campaign Civil Rights — co-sponsored a fundraiser last Thursday evening in ICC Galleria to benefit the legal defense fund of former University of South Florida professor Sami Al Arian...Between 70 and 100 people attended Thursday's event, [MSA spokesperson]Hussain said. Admission to the event was $15 for students, $20 for non-students and $50 for families of four or less, according to flyers advertising the event."We collected a couple thousand dollars for the legal defense fundHussainsaid.http://www.thehoya.com/news/041503/news6.cfm

The Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC) also gave her a scholarship award.

Following these meetings was a lavish dinner reception held at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ADC warmly thanks the UAE Embassy for welcoming ADC and for the generous hospitality of H.E. Abdullah Al Saboosi...Jack Shaheen announced the winners of his Mass Communications Scholarship award. Winners of the $1000 scholarship are: Heidi Saman, Stephanie Abraham Tarik Ahmed Elseewi. Winners of the $500 scholarship are: Stephanie Teebagy, Emman Alleban, Laila Al-Arian. Abraham and Al-Arian were present that evening to receive their awards. Following these meetings was a lavish dinner reception held at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ADC warmly thanks the UAE Embassy for welcoming ADC and for the generous hospitality of H.E. Abdullah Al Saboosi. http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=2515&type=100

At one Muslim event Laila Al Arian gave a speech where she blamed the arrest of her terrorist leader father on "Zionist journalist Steve Emerson".

Emerson first broke the story of Al Arian's role as the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the United States. On the indictment Al Arian was charged with the murders of 100 people in terrorist attacks orchestrated and funded by him and PIJ.

Most amusing of all is that terrorist Al Arian claims the reason he refuses to testify in a trial against terrorist "charities" making the ludicrous claim that he fears he "will be targetted by militants".

The court is keeping him in confinement," Al-Arian's lead counsel, Jonathan Turley, said as he emerged from the hearing. He declined to elaborate, citing the sealed nature of the proceedings.

Al-Arian, who taught computer science at the University of South Florida, was tried in Tampa in 2005 on charges stemming from allegations that he was Palestinian Islamic Jihad's top leader in America. The jury acquitted him on eight charges and deadlocked on nine others. Last year, Al-Arian agreed to avert another trial by pleading guilty to one charge of providing aid to an embargoed terrorist group.

Al-Arian has asserted that he should not be required to testify before the grand jury because the government promised him during plea negotiations that he would not have to cooperate with federal prosecutors, including those in Virginia. He also contends that militants could target him as a collaborator if he testifies.

TAMPA - Friday night, when Nahla Al-Arian stepped to the microphone at her going-away party at the Islamic Community of Tampa to address about 100 well-wishers, she tried to put a happy face on moving to Cairo, Egypt.

"We leave for a new life, " she began. But she fought back tears as she continued: "My heart is aching. I'm an American and it's hard to go."

Today, she and her two youngest children fly to Virginia, where they will spend a few weeks with her jailed husband, Sami Al-Arian, before she and the children leave for Egypt .

The departure of Nahla, 46, marks the end of 21 years here.

In 1986, the Al-Arians came from North Carolina so Sami could teach computer engineering at the University of South Florida. They quickly became community leaders and activists for Arab and Muslim causes and other issues.

The Al-Arians lived in Temple Terrace and had two more children. Sami Al-Arian founded a Muslim school and a think tank on Middle Eastern topics at USF.

Then, in 1994, a documentary on public television alleged that Al-Arian was linked to terrorist activity in Israel.

In 1995, Ramadan Shallah, an associate of Al-Arian's at the USF think tank, left for Syria to become head of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The FBI began investigating.

In 2003, he was arrested, accused of helping finance the violent activities of the PIJ.

In 2005, after a six-month trial in Tampa , a jury acquitted Al-Arian on eight charges of terrorism and deadlocked on nine.

In 2006, after three years in solitary confinement with no convictions, Al-Arian pleaded guilty to providing nonviolent services to associates of the PIJ.

After 11 more months in prison, he was to be deported in April 2007, but is still being jailed in Virginia on civil contempt charges, beyond his sentence.

Nahla Al-Arian concluded her speech with this: "Thank all of you for sticking with us through our darkest times. When I leave, please do not forget Sami in prison. We are counting on your commitment to justice."